Danilo Gallinari (Jeff Zelevansky)
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Now the Knicks, once the picture of health, will really be tested — tonight and on an upcoming four-game West Coast trip.
Danilo Gallinari will miss two to three weeks with a sprained left knee — a costly blow considering their lack of depth and vicious upcoming schedule.
Gallinari will miss tonight’s showdown against the league-best Spurs (29-4) and the entire West Coast trip that begins in Phoenix on Friday and moves to Los Angeles with a battle vs. the Lakers Sunday.
Yesterday’s MRI showed no tear but a sprained ligament. The Knicks called it a “mild” sprain, but not as mild as they originally hoped. Coach Mike D’Antoni hoped Gallinari would miss just a couple of games.
This will be the Knicks’ first bout against adversity since they turned around their season in mid-November — moving on without one of their primary starters for the first time this season. Gallinari is averaging 15.3 points.
The Knicks (19-14) have had good fortune regarding injuries, but 2011 doesn’t start that way.
None of the Knicks’ primary starting five had missed a game. Amar’e Stoudemire has played all 33 as have Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and rookie Landry Fields. The Knicks have used that starting five the past 16 games and 18 times overall.
With Gallinari out for an extended time, Ronny Turiaf will move into the starting lineup at center, with Stoudemire moving to his natural position at power forward.
Gallinari, if he returns in two weeks, will miss seven games. If he misses three weeks, the total rises to 11 games.
“Lucky, plus I think we have a great medical staff,” said D’Antoni when asked if the club had dodged injuries. “They get them physically fit and how they recover. We got a great medical team. I feel luck, but I think it’s more than just luck.”
D’Antoni spoke before learning Gallinari’s timetable. Turiaf is expected to defend Tim Duncan tonight. Though the Spurs rely less on Duncan than in the past, there’s a chance they will stick it inside to “The Big Fundamental” to get Turiaf in foul trouble.
Indeed, the Knicks’ bench will be thin and may press team president Donnie Walsh into a move for a big man or backup point guard sooner than later. Center Earl Barron is still available.
The wear and tear is showing. Felton is fighting through a bruised hand that’s affecting his shot, his backup Toney Douglas is playing through a painful shoulder injury and Stoudemire still has a sore neck.
The Knicks will desperately miss Gallinari’s 3-point shooting that opens up space for Stoudemire. Though Gallinari sometimes is disengaged offensively (he’s shooting 41 percent), he’s defended well and draws an inordinate amount of charges.
Turiaf gives the Knicks a bigger frontline and they were 5-1 when he started in November. But Turiaf never returned to form after spraining his knee in mid-November, though he seemed close to that Sunday vs. Indiana blocking six shots.
“He gives us another defender who plays extremely well, blocks shots,” Felton said. “You make mistakes at the perimeter, he’ll clean it up in the paint. He brings so much energy on both ends. Having him back 100 percent and healthy is really great for us.”
It will be interesting to see if D’Antoni looks to yank 6-foot-11 Anthony Randolph out of his doghouse in the wake of Gallinari’s injury. Randolph fell out of the rotation in November and it corresponded with the Knicks’ 13-1 spree and resurrection of their season. Randolph has looked spectacularly athletic in scrimmages, but his mistake-prone game drove D’Antoni crazy.
“We’re pretty successful with Ronny starting,” D’Antoni said. “It’s a chance to experiment.”
When Gallinari returns, D’Antoni said he still wants to go back to the Stoudemire-Wilson Chandler frontline.
Stoudemire has excelled at center, too quick for most of his defenders. However, when he was in Phoenix, Stoudemire never found the answer against San Antonio, losing two playoff series, including the memorable 2007 series in which Stoudemire got suspended for the rest of the series after the notorious Robert Horry hip-check of Steve Nash. Stoudemire did not practice yesterday and was not made available to the media.
Knicks reserve Roger Mason, formerly of the Spurs, said of stopping Stoudemire: “My two years there, the biggest thing is trying to avoid him getting his dunks and getting his paint finishes and making him a jump shooter. Of course, now Amar’e is one of the best jump shooters we have. He’s just a tough guard.”